Terminal and method for entering command in the terminal

ABSTRACT

A terminal including a touch-screen display configured to be touched by a user, and a controller configured to determine a number of simultaneous touches on the touch-screen and to perform a function based on the determined number of simultaneous touches.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.10-2006-0037178, filed on Apr. 25, 2006, which is hereby incorporated byreference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic device including a touchscreen in which a function is performed based on a number ofsimultaneous touches.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Several electronic devices now include touch screens that allow a userto select a menu option by simply touching the screen at the position ofthe particular menu option. For example, KIOSK terminals such as anAutomated Teller Machine (ATM) include such touch screens. Mobileterminals such as cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs),laptop computers, etc. also include such touch screens.

However, in the related art electronic devices, the user is only able toselect a predetermined option, but can not easily edit a selectedoption. For example, a user can withdraw money using an ATM by enteringtheir Personal Identification Number (PIN), selecting the Withdraw menuoption, and entering the amount of money to withdraw. Similarly, a usercan create a short message (e.g., text message) on a mobile terminal byselecting a Create Text Message menu option and entering the appropriatetext.

However, when the user wants to change the amount of money to withdrawor change the text message, the user must use the backspace or deletekey. This is often cumbersome and inconvenient, especially when the userwants to delete character(s) in the middle of the data. That is, theuser must also delete all of the data in front of the data he or shewants to delete. In addition, to flip through pages in an electronicbook, the user must individually select a turn page command provided ona keypad that is separate from the display. One page is turned in theelectronic book based on each selection of the turn page command.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to address theabove-noted and other problems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method andcorresponding terminal that allows a user to easily edit informationdisplayed on the touch screen.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method andcorresponding terminal that allows a user to flip through pages in anelectronic book such as a calendar, scheduler, etc. by touching thetouch screen.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with thepurpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, thepresent invention provides in one aspect, a terminal including atouch-screen display configured to be touched by a user, and acontroller configured to determine a number of simultaneous touches onthe touch-screen and to perform a function based on the determinednumber of simultaneous touches. The present invention also provides acorresponding touch screen method.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a terminal including atouch-screen display configured to be touched by a user, and acontroller configured to determine an area of the touch-screen displaythat is touched by the user and to perform an operation on datadisplayed on the touch-screen display based on the determined area ofthe touch-screen touched by the user. The present invention alsoprovides a corresponding touch screen method.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by illustration only, since various changes and modificationswithin the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings,which are given by illustration only, and thus are not limitative of thepresent invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an overview illustrating a user deleting a portion of textaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an overview illustrating a user deleting a portion of textaccording to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an overview illustrating a user deleting a portion of textaccording to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an overview illustrating a user performing a paging operationaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6. is an overview illustrating a user selecting between a cut andpast operation according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7. is an overview illustrating a user selecting between a cut andpast operation according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

Turning first to FIG. 1, which is a block diagram illustrating a mobileterminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Asshown, the mobile terminal 100 includes a memory unit 110, a display120, an input unit 130, a Radio Frequency (RF) unit 140, and acontroller 150. The memory unit 110 includes software programs fordriving a plurality of functions provided by the mobile terminal 100,and data associated with the software programs.

Further, the display 120 displays images associated with theabove-mentioned functions of the mobile terminal 100, and also otherinformation associated with the operation of the mobile terminal. Thedisplay 120 is also a touch-screen display in which the user selectsmenu options and enters information by touching the screen with apointing stylus or finger, for example. In addition, the touch-screendisplay may be configured by at least one of an electrostatic capacitivemethod, a resistive overlay method, an infrared beam method, a surfaceacoustic wave method, an integral strain gauge method, a piezo-electricmethod, etc.

Further, the input unit 130 allows the user to enter a variety ofcommands or information on the mobile terminal 100. The input unit 130includes a keypad, touch-wheel, touchpad or voice recognition device,for example, which can be selected by the user to enter information. Inaddition, the touch-screen display 120 may also include all necessaryfunctions allowing a user to enter information on the terminal 100,which replaces the functions of the input unit 100.

The RF unit 140 processes a variety of RF signals to allow the mobileterminal 100 to communicate with a communication network and therebyperform communication services such as a voice-call service, SMS (ShortMessage Service), MMS (multimedia message service), etc. The controller150 controls all operations of the terminal 100 including the memoryunit 110, the touch-screen display 120, the input unit 130 and the RFunit 140.

In addition, the controller 150 recognizes a number ofsimultaneous-touches and/or a touch area of a pointer touching thetouch-screen. That is, the controller 150 determines a number ofsimultaneous touches on the touch-screen and performs a function basedon the determined number of simultaneous touches.

In more detail, the number of simultaneous touches corresponds to theuser simultaneously touching at least two different positions on thetouch-screen display 120 at a same time. For example, the user can touchthe touch-screen display 120 with one finger and then touch thetouch-screen display 120 with another finger a few second later whilestill touching the touch-screen display 120 with the first finger. Inthis instance, the user is touching the touch-screen display 120simultaneously at two different positions at the same time.Alternatively, the user can touch the touch-screen display 120 with twofingers at the same time. Similar to above, the user is touching thetouch-screen display 120 simultaneously at two different positions atthe same time.

In addition, the controller 150 also determines an area of thetouch-screen display 120 that is touched by the user and performs afunction based on the determined area of the touch-screen touched by theuser. That is, the controller 150 analyzes a command entered on thetouch-screen based on the recognized number of simultaneous-touchesand/or the touch area of the pointer.

For example, the controller 150 recognizes when a user touches thetouch-screen display 120 with one finger, with two fingers, with threefingers, etc. The controller 150 also recognizes what portion of thetouch-screen display 120 the user touches. The controller 150 can alsodetermine that the user has dragged a pointer such as his or her fingeralong a particular portion of the touch-screen display 120 and in whichdirection (e.g., left to right, up and down, etc.) the user has draggedthe pointer. Thus, the controller 150 can determine or set functionsassociated with actions performed by the user on the touch-screendisplay 120.

Turning next to FIG. 2, which is an overview illustrating a userdeleting a portion of text according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 2-1, the user has created an SMS message onthe touch-screen display 120. The user may create such an SMS message byselecting a “Create SMS message” menu option provided on thetouch-screen display 120 or the input unit 130. The user can then selectthe appropriate characters to create the desired SMS text message.

Previously, if the user wanted to delete a portion of the SMS message,he or she had to press a “Deletion,” “Cancel” or “Back Space” key on theinput unit several times to delete the desired text. For example, andwith reference to FIG. 2-1, if the user wanted to delete the text “I amdoing good,” the user would have to press the backspace key at least 14times to delete this sentence. This is very inconvenient for the user.

Similarly, if the user wanted to delete only the word “am” in thesentence “I am doing good,” the user would have to delete the words infront of the word “am” in order to delete the word “am.” That is, theuser would also have to delete the words “doing good” in order to deletethe word “am.” The user would then have to retype the words “am doinggood,” even though he or she only wanted to delete the word “am.” Thisis also very inconvenient to the user.

The present invention solves the above problems by advantageouslyallowing the user to select the portion of text he or she desires todelete by simply touching and dragging a pointer such as his or herfinger across the portion of text desired to be deleted. In more detail,and as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the user can touch thetouch-screen display 120 at a first position (FIG. 2-2) and then slideor drag his or her finger along the touch-screen display 120 to a secondposition (FIG. 2-3). The controller 150 recognizes the user hasperformed this operation and deletes the text on the touch-screendisplay 120 between the first and second positions (as shown in FIG.2-3).

In more detail, a table or database may be stored in the memory unit 110indicating that an operation in which the user touches a first positionon the touch-screen display 120, drags his or her finger across thetouch-screen display 120 and touches a second position on thetouch-screen display 120 corresponds to a delete operation. Thecontroller 150 then uses this stored information in order toappropriately delete the desired text.

Thus, in accordance with an embodiment of the preset invention, the usercan easily delete a portion of text without having to enter thebackspace or delete key several times. Further, although notspecifically shown in FIG. 2, the user can also delete a word or wordscontained in the middle of the sentence without deleting all the wordsin the sentence.

Turning next to FIG. 3, which illustrates another method of deletingtext according to another embodiment of the present invention. In thismethod, the user is able to delete a larger portion of text than in theembodiment of FIG. 2.

In more detail, and as shown in FIG. 3-1, the user first creates a textmessage as in FIG. 2-1. The user then touches the touch-screen display120 in two places (e.g., with two fingers) at first and second positions(i.e., the first and second touches shown in FIG. 3-2). The user thendrags his or her fingers to a third position to delete the text from thefirst and second positions to the third position (as shown in FIG. 3-3).Thus, the user is able to delete all of text in between these positions.Similarly to the embodiment in FIG. 2, the controller 150 may refer to atable or database stored in the memory unit 110 to perform such afunction.

FIG. 4 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention thatallows the user to delete a desired portion of text. In more detail, theuser first creates an SMS text message as shown in FIG. 4-1. Then theuser presses his or her finger or stylus at a first position over adesired area on the touch-screen display 120 (FIG. 4-2). For example,the user can press his or her forefinger over multiple sentences orlines of text in the text message (as shown in FIG. 4-2).

The user then drags his or her finger or stylus to a second position todelete all text from the first to second positions (FIG. 4-3). Thus, inthis embodiment, the user can delete or erase a plurality of charactersbelonging to the touch area from the first position to the secondposition. In addition, the user may also simultaneously touch/rub threeor more positions on the touch-screen so that a plurality of characterscorresponding to the three or more positions are deleted.

Further, although not shown in the figures, the user may delete or eraseall characters of an SMS message on the touch-screen display 120 bytouching the touch-screen a predetermined number of times in asuccessive manner (e.g., 4 touches). For example, the table or databaseof the memory unit 110 may indicate that if the user touches thetouch-screen display 4 times in a successive manner (e.g., within apredetermined amount of time), all text on the touch-screen display 120is to be deleted.

Turning now to another embodiment of the present invention as shown inFIG. 5 in which the user may flip through pages (i.e., perform a pagingoperation) in an electronic book (e.g., calendar, scheduler, etc.)displayed on a terminal.

In this embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 5, the user is able to flip onepage by touching the touch-screen display 120 with one finger (FIG.5-1), flip two pages by touching the touch-screen display 120 with twofingers (FIG. 5-2), flip three pages by touching the touch-screendisplay 120 with three fingers (FIG. 5-3), etc. That is, the table ordatabase stored in the memory unit 110 may indicate that when the userin viewing an electronic book such as a calendar or scheduler, the usermay page through a desired number of pages based on the number ofpositions the user simultaneously touches the touch-screen display 120.

This embodiment is particular advantageous because in the past, if auser wanted to turn a page of the displayed electronic book, the usercould only turn only one page of the electronic book by selecting a turnpage command. Further, although not shown in FIG. 5, the user may turnto the last page of the electronic of the electronic book by pressing aholding the touch-screen display 120 for a predetermined amount of time.Similarly, the user may return to the first page of the electronic bookby again touching and holding the touch-screen display 120 for thepredetermined amount of time.

Turning next to FIG. 6, which is an overview illustrating an embodimentof the present invention in which the user can selectively determinewhether the touching of the touch-screen display 120 deletes the text orcuts and pastes the text. In more detail, the description with respectto FIGS. 2-4 corresponds to the user deleting the data displayed on thetouch-screen display 120.

However, in an alternative embodiment and as shown in FIG. 6, the usercan press a soft key on the touch-screen display 120 to toggle between adelete mode and a cut and paste mode. For example, when the user touchesthe soft key, a menu is provided allowing the user to select (1) adelete mode or (2) a cut and paste mode. If the user selects (1) thedelete mode, the data will be deleted as described with respect to FIGS.2-4. However, if the user selects (2) the cut and paste mode, the datathat was deleted in FIGS. 2-4 will instead be cut (and not deleted). Theuser can then paste the cut data at any location on the touch-screendisplay 120 by again touching the touch-screen display 120.

For example, if the user selected the cut and paste mode (rather thanthe delete mode), the user could cut the phrase “I am doing good.” inFIG. 2-3, and paste this cut data below the phrase “Are you busy today?”by simply touching the screen below this phrase. Thus, in accordancewith the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the user can selectively choosebetween a delete mode and a cut and paste mode. In addition, rather thandisplaying a menu as in FIG. 6, the soft key may be labeled with itscurrent mode. That is, in the cut and paste mode, the soft key islabeled “cut and paste,” and in the delete mode, the soft key is labeled“delete”. Thus, the user can toggle between the two modes by touchingthe soft key.

In yet another alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, the user canadvantageously delete data or cut and paste data based on the directionin which he or she drags the pointer (e.g., in a left or rightdirection). For example, and as shown in FIG. 7, the user can deletedata by dragging the pointer in a left to right direction, and cut andpaste data by dragging the pointer in a right to left direction. An upor down direction, etc. may also be used. If the user wants to paste thecut data, the user can again touch a location on the touch-screendisplay 120 to indicate where the data is to be pasted (as discussedabove).

Thus, in accordance with different embodiments of the present invention,the user can perform a variety of different editing, paging, etc.commands by simply touching the touch-screen display unit. Further, theabove-description related to a mobile terminal such as a cell phone.However, the present invention also relates to other terminals orelectronic devices such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a gamemachine, a KIOSK terminal (e.g., an ATM), etc.

As the present invention may be embodied in several forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, itshould also be understood that the above-described embodiments are notlimited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unlessotherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within itsspirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore allchanges and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of theclaims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intendedto be embraced by the appended claims.

1. A terminal comprising: a touch-screen display configured to betouched by a user; and a controller configured to determine a number ofsimultaneous touches on the touch-screen and to perform a function basedon the determined number of simultaneous touches.
 2. The terminal ofclaim 1, wherein the number of simultaneous touches corresponds to theuser simultaneously touching at least two different positions on thetouch-screen at a same time.
 3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein thefunction is a deletion command configured to delete data displayed onthe touch-screen.
 4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein when the usertouches the touch-screen display with a pointer at a first position andat a second position on the touch-screen display at the same time, anddrags the pointer to a third position on the touch-screen display, thedeletion command deletes data displayed on the touch-screen display fromthe first and second positions to the third position on the touch-screendisplay.
 5. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the function is a pagingcommand configured to flip through pages in an electronic book displayedon the touch-screen.
 6. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the controllerflips through a respective number of pages according to the number ofsimultaneous touches on the touch-screen.
 7. The terminal of claim 1,further comprising: a selectable option configured to be selected by theuser to indicate whether an operation on the touch-screen display is adeletion operation or a cutting and pasting operation.
 8. The terminalof claim 2, wherein when the user touches the touch-screen display witha pointer at a first position and at a second position on thetouch-screen display at the same time, and drags the pointer to a thirdposition on the touch-screen display, the controller further determinesa direction in which the user drags the pointer.
 9. The terminal ofclaim 8, wherein when the user drags the pointer in a first direction,the controller determines the user is cutting the data between the firstand second positions to the third position to be later pasted at anotherposition on the touch-screen display, and when the user drags thepointer in a second direction different than the first direction, thecontroller determines the user is deleting the data between the firstand second positions to the third position.
 10. A terminal comprising: atouch-screen display configured to be touched by a user; and acontroller configured to determine an area of the touch-screen displaythat is touched by the user and to perform an operation on datadisplayed on the touch-screen display based on the determined area ofthe touch-screen touched by the user.
 11. The terminal of claim 10,wherein when the user touches a first position on the touch-screendisplay and drags a pointer to a second position on the touch-screendisplay, the controller deletes data displayed on the touch screenwithin an area between the first and second positions.
 12. The terminalof claim 10, further comprising: a selectable option configured to beselected by the user to indicate whether the operation performed on thedata on the touch-screen display is a deletion operation or a cuttingand pasting operation.
 13. The terminal of claim 10, wherein when theuser touches with a pointer a first position on the touch-screen displayand drags the pointer to a second position on the touch-screen display,the controller further determines a direction in which the user dragsthe pointer.
 14. The terminal of claim 13, wherein when the user dragsthe pointer in a first direction, the controller determines the user iscutting the data defined within an area between the first and secondpositions to be later pasted at another position on the touch-screendisplay, and when the user drags the pointer in a second directiondifferent than the first direction, the controller determines the useris deleting the data defined within the area between the first andsecond positions.
 15. A terminal comprising: a touch-screen displayconfigured to be touched by a user; and a controller configured todetermine that a user has touched a first position on the touch-screendisplay with a pointer and dragged the pointer to a second position onthe touch-screen display, and to perform an operation of the datadisplayed on the touch-screen display from the first position to thesecond position.
 16. The terminal of claim 15, further comprising: aselectable option configured to be selected by the user to indicatewhether the operation on the touch-screen display is a deletionoperation or a cutting and pasting operation.
 17. The terminal of claim15, wherein when the user touches the touch-screen display with thepointer at the first position and drags the pointer to the secondposition on the touch-screen display, the controller further determinesa direction in which the user drags the pointer.
 18. The terminal ofclaim 17, wherein when the user drags the pointer in a first direction,the controller determines the user is cutting the data between the firstand second positions to be later pasted at another position on thetouch-screen display, and when the user drags the pointer in a seconddirection different than the first direction, the controller determinesthe user is deleting the data between the first and second positions.19. A method for executing a function on a terminal, said methodcomprising: determining a number of simultaneous touches on thetouch-screen; and performing a function based on the determined numberof simultaneous touches.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the numberof simultaneous touches corresponds to a user simultaneously touching atleast two different positions on the touch-screen at a same time. 21.The method of claim 20, wherein the function is a deletion commandconfigured to delete data displayed on the touch-screen or is a pagingcommand configured to flip through pages in an electronic book displayedon the touch-screen.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein when the usertouches the touch-screen display with a pointer at a first position andat a second position on the touch-screen display at the same time, anddrags the pointer to a third position on the touch-screen display, thedeletion command deletes data displayed on the touch-screen display fromthe first and second positions to the third position on the touch-screendisplay.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the performing step flipsthrough a respective number of pages according to the number ofsimultaneous touches on the touch-screen.
 24. The method of claim 19,further comprising: selecting whether an operation on the touch-screendisplay is a deletion operation or a cutting and pasting operation,wherein when the user touches the touch-screen display with a pointer ata first position and at a second position on the touch-screen display atthe same time, and drags the pointer to a third position on thetouch-screen display, the performing step determines a direction inwhich the user drags the pointer, and wherein when the user drags thepointer in a first direction, the performing step determines the user iscutting the data between the first and second positions to the thirdposition to be later pasted at another position on the touch-screendisplay, and when the user drags the pointer in a second directiondifferent than the first direction, the performing step determines theuser is deleting the data between the first and second positions to thethird position.
 25. A method for executing a function on a terminal,said method comprising: determining an area of the touch-screen displaythat is touched by a user; and performing an operation on data displayedon the touch-screen display based on the determined area of thetouch-screen touched by the user.
 26. The method of claim 25, whereinwhen the user touches a first position on the touch-screen display anddrags a pointer to a second position on the touch-screen display, theperforming step deletes data displayed on the touch screen within anarea between the first and second positions.
 27. The method of claim 25,further comprising: selecting by the user whether the operationperformed on the data on the touch-screen display is a deletionoperation or a cutting and pasting operation, wherein when the usertouches with a pointer a first position on the touch-screen display anddrags the pointer to a second position on the touch-screen display, theperforming step determines a direction in which the user drags thepointer, and wherein when the user drags the pointer in a firstdirection, the controller determines the user is cutting the datadefined within an area between the first and second positions to belater pasted at another position on the touch-screen display, and whenthe user drags the pointer in a second direction different than thefirst direction, the controller determines the user is deleting the datadefined within the area between the first and second positions.
 28. Amethod for executing a function on a terminal, said method comprising:determining that a user has touched a first position on the touch-screendisplay with a pointer and dragged the pointer to a second position onthe touch-screen display; and performing an operation of the datadisplayed on the touch-screen display from the first position to thesecond position.
 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:selecting by the user whether the operation on the touch-screen displayis a deletion operation or a cutting and pasting operation, wherein whenthe user touches the touch-screen display with the pointer at the firstposition and drags the pointer to the second position on thetouch-screen display, the controller further determines a direction inwhich the user drags the pointer, and wherein when the user drags thepointer in a first direction, the controller determines the user iscutting the data between the first and second positions to be laterpasted at another position on the touch-screen display, and when theuser drags the pointer in a second direction different than the firstdirection, the controller determines the user is deleting the databetween the first and second positions.